340 Division I schools and only 78 wrestling (soon to be 77 without Boston U) programs is shameful.
We need to get to 100! Instead of focusing on making duals a national event, the only thing that the NWCA should be focusing on is growth. All attention and focus should be on expansion and growth of programs.

311 Division II schools and only 57 wrestling programs.

442 Division III schools and only 90 wrestling programs.

257 NAIA schools and only 43 wrestling programs.

629 Community Colleges total (NJCAA & CCCAA ) and only 61 wrestling programs. That's awful!!!

Missouri will be next. The only school in the SEC with wrestling...that makes them an easy target for their AD. I can hear it now "We needed the funds to make our SEC programs competitive...blah, blah, blah."

I think there should be one in every state, especially a state is one of the leaders in USA wrestling memberships.

Why won't WSU add a program? They don't have the 84 scholarship imbalance caused by Title IX.

This is something i've been wondering for a while. According to the above numbers, there are currently 251 total wrestling programs. How does that compare to the total number of programs 10 years ago and 20 years ago and 30 years ago?

I would be really interested in knowing the answer to this. If somebody knows the answer, that would be great! If not, I would even be willing to put in some research time if someone could tell me where i could find all of the data.

National Collegiate Wrestling Association

The N.C.W.A. has 148 mens college wrestling programs and 29 womens college wrestling programs.

Some teams coached or once coached by greats such as Jim and Dave Hazewinkle, Dave Mills, and Jeff Buxton to name a few.

Out of 148 colleges and universities participating in the NCWA...several could be competitive at the Division I level with proper recruiting and management.

Kansas State University should be first in line

Dan Gable mentioned once that wrestling is not a dying sport.

We may be short on programs for now, but look at how the world came together when they tried to take wrestling from us in the Olympics.

Good post smokeycabin...there's always room for growth in our sport.

Some interesting facts... a little out dated, but a valid effort at the time.

http://www.usawks.com/College/D1NCAAinKS.pdf

Follow the money. Bigger venues and TV reduces Dual attendance.
OSU prime example: OU dual 5,000 in a 13,000 seat venue with curtians pulled in top sections in a house that used to hold 5,000 and a sell out. Basketball has much larger crowds many sell outs in same venue with National TV coverage.

Are you THE Beau Tillman Pratt wrestler from the late 90s. If so, great to hear from you. We lose track of so many of our great HS wrestlers. Not to be nosy, but tell us a little about where have you been and what you were doing for the last 15 years. Did you wrestle in college?

Since the MMA has really become popular in the last decade, I was thinking this would boost overall individual participant numbers into the sport of wrestling, largely due to kids wanting to get ground fighting skills. I am not sure if the numbers of colleges that have wrestling programs are decreasing, but my guess is that interest in the MMA has actually increased the sports numbers by more than any other source. I would be curious to see how the participant level of wrestling in the U.S. has changed in the last decade.

Since Title IX was adopted in 1972, creating more opportunities for women in competitive athletics, more than 500 NCAA member schools have dropped their wrestling programs. Only 226 remain.

Pennsylvania proves to be wrestling's undisputed hotbed
By Jason Mackey

Published: Saturday, Jan. 11, 2014, 10:20 p.m.


Read more: http://triblive.com/sports/otherlocal/5376545-74/wrestling-pennsylvania-ncaa#ixzz2tspnaQ3i
Follow us: @triblive on Twitter | triblive on Facebook
http://triblive.com/sports/otherlocal/5376545-74/wrestling-pennsylvania-ncaa#axzz2tspIi39t

http://www.bsu.edu/eft/dirtonskirts/p/_activities/act_titleix/articletitle_ix.pdf

http://www.spaceprojects.com/TitleIX/



Kansas Colleges With Wrestling Programs currently
Colby Community College –
Wrestling Website link –

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Colby-Community-College-Wrestling/253557661321939

http://www.colbycc.edu/


Labette:
Website Link: http://www.labette.edu/dept/athlet/wrestling/index.htm

Northwest Kansas Technical College – http://www.nwktc.edu/Athletics/wrestling.php
Website Link: http://www.nwktc.edu/Athletics/wrestling.php

Fort Hays State Athletics
Website Link: http://www.fhsuathletics.com/index.aspx?path=wrestling&tab=0

Benedictine - http://ravenathletics.benedictine.edu/athletics/sports/wrestling/schedule
Website Link: http://ravenathletics.benedictine.edu/athletics/sports/wrestling

Newman University
Website Link: http://newmanjets.com/index.aspx?path=wrestling&tab=0

Neosho Community College
Website Link: http://goneosho.com/index.aspx?path=wrestling&&tab=0

Baker University - http://www.bakeru.edu/sports/wrestling

Website Link: http://www.bakeru.edu/sports/wrestling

Bethany College Kansas
Website Link: http://www.bethanyswedes.com/sport/0/28.php

Pratt Community College
Website Link: http://prattcc.edu/pcc-athletics/wrestling

Ottawa University
Website link: http://www.ottawabraves.com/sport/0/26.php

Please continue to support our Kansas Colleges with wrestling.



USA Wrestling-Kansas Inc. - Kansas College Wrestling Fund (KCWF)
7208 Magnolia Way
Hutchinson, KS 67502-9380
MISSION STATEMENT OF KANSAS COLLEGE WRESTLING FUND:
It is the mission of the Kansas College Wrestling Fund to provide financial support for Kansas colleges and universities with active college wrestling programs. This financial support to Kansas colleges and universities will help provide wrestling, academic and eventual career opportunities for student athlete wrestlers in the State of Kansas.
Individual and corporate donor annual gifting levels:
Platinum Level-$5,000 and above
Gold Level-$2,000 to $5,000
Silver Level-$500-$1,999
Bronze Level-$1-$499
Checks should be made out to: USAW - Kansas College Wrestling Fund
Tax ID – Number 48-0981221 501 c (3) exemption
Thank you for your support of the Kansas College Wrestling Fund
Where to send checks:
USA Wrestling-Kansas Inc. - Kansas College Wrestling Fund (KCWF)
7208 Magnolia Way
Hutchinson, KS 67502-9380


Kansas College Wrestling Fund Committee: Please call or e-mail if you have any questions.

Sean McCarthy – Chairman (913) 579-1835 – cell, e-mail - smokeycabin@hotmail.com

Will Cokeley - Vice Chairman (708) 267-6615 – cell, e-mail – willcokeley@gmail.com

Bill Peterman – Secretary (913) 626-4459 – cell, e-mail – billpeterman@hotmail.com

USA Wrestling – Kansas Inc. – Treasurer (Mike Juby – e-mail – mikejuby@usawks.com)

Wayne Petterson – College Coach – (620) 431-2820 Extension 210 work, e-mail wpetterson@neosho.edu

David Nordhues - College Coach - (O) 785 460 5503 (C) 308 750 2745 - david.nordhues@colbycc.edu

Ryan Smith – College Coach – (316) 617-9025, e-mail smithry@newmanu.edu

Steve Woody – USAWKS – Corporate Board Director (District IV Director) (785) 626-3309, e-mail stripes@ruraltel.net

Travis Keal – Kansas HS Coach Mill Valley, Previous KWCA - President, (913) 645-6050 – cell, e-mail tkeal@att.net

Jeff Butler – Wrestling Supporter (808) 230-1371 – cell, e-mail jrod400@aol.com

Dan Harris - Wrestling supporter Dan.Harris@bakeru.edu - (913) 522-0978


Leanna Grater - leanngrater@twinvalley.net
Multiple Decades of Service to the Kansas Wrestling Community
Treasurer - USA Wrestling Kansas Kids Executive Council
Phone: (785) 632-1887

Jennifer Edison - Edison6@swbell.net
Multiple Decades of Service to the Kansas Wrestling Community
Secretary – USA Wrestling Corporate Board of Directors
Phone: (316) 721-5122




If you have any questions on how to help - feel free to contact any of the KCWF committee members.

http://www.examiner.com/article/no-3-sto...-four-for-women


http://www.nwcaonline.com/nwcawebsite/savingwrestlinghome/facts.aspx

Since 2001 or 2002 over 100 collegiate teams have added wrestling and the numbers are growing.

I wrestled at Labette Community College for two years and transferred to Kansas State University with the idea of using my 3 years of remaining eligibility to help promote Kansas State University and Division I wrestling...a tough decision, but worthy I felt.

I coached, competed, raised money...sometimes by raking leaves for entry fees and gas, volunteered at Manhattan Optimist and MHS, worked full-time, and full-time student. Later, I assisted under Coach Gonzales...great experience!

After nearly 8 years of grinding for the greater cause of KS our proposal was presented to the University. Let's just say I was politely asked to cease efforts for KSU Div.I wrestling. I felt we were finally gaining momentum in 2007, but was told it would never happen. I knew chances were that I wouldn't be head coach or possibly on staff if KSU went D-I. That didn't bother me as much as having all your hard work and dreams shattered with no reasonable explanation.

I eventually found my way back home to Pratt. Wrestling is life... I love PHS and the PWC, which has always been extremely supportive of me and my family.

If I'm not on a mat I'm in a treestand, fishing, and dedicating my everything to my 6 year old daughter...and no she doesn't wrestle lol.

Thank you for asking....

I think the NCWA is a nice option but not a reasonable substitute for a varsity sport. It is basically intramurals on supplements. We need to find a way to alter TITLE IX to state that the scholarship match is for all sports EXCLUDING MEN'S FOOTBALL AND BASKETBALL. At the NCAA D1 level these two programs are cash cows. Some D1 football head coaches make enough in one year to pay for several years of an entire wrestling program. The focus needs to be that TITLE IX, the way it is written today, is killing our Olympic sports effort. Wrestling is not the lone sport to be taking a hit. Men's Gymnastics, track, baseball, swimming, etc have all taken the hit to equal the scholarship count.

The NCWA is a nice option when your school drops their program...or during your transition from NAIA to Div.II which is why Jim Giunta developed the NCWA.

I'm sure Isaac Wall and Curtis Chenoweth from Newman University can attest that Club wrestling is more competitive than you think at the national tournament.

KSU has an "intramurals" tournament. I always considered it a chance to beat up on fraternity boys.

It is clearly not a varsity sport...but I personally trained up to 6-8 hours a day at times for two years with 3 goals in mind to be a national champion, outstanding wrestler, and coach of the year.

I was never satisfied with being a club team and always strived for more. And KSU should not substitute its varsity program with anything less than the absolute best...which is what KS wrestling deserves.

While I was at KSU Title IX was the topic of discussion, but that was not the reason KSU did not want wrestling. Our proposal clearly demonstrated how adding a mens sport would allow KSU to remain in compliance with Title IX.

Title IX destroys programs and opportunities...but the University has the power to do something great for the future of their athletics and the future of KS wrestling.

Title IX needs to be changed, but the vision of KSU, WSU, KU could also pivot to a bright rewarding future for our children.

KSU Club Wrestling was only a concrete vision of posibilities and hope.

Kansas Deserves Division I Wrestling

Well, since I am a founding member of the NCWA and on the executive board of the association I can tell you it is not "intramurals on supplements". The association has as many Varsity (athletic run) programs as NAIA and as many as NJCAA. It is just another options out there. The top tier teams in the NCWA can wrestle with most of D3, D2 and NAIA programs and have wins against some lower D1 schools. Wrestling is Wrestling and should be supported on all levels in college. The more all levels are supported the more people will take notice that the sport is not dieing but has started a SLOW recovery.

Great article. When coaches like JRob and Sanderson are rowing in different directions, the sport will never gain momentum. IMHO.